, the result of his negotiations. After repeated
conferences he at length returned with the ultimate terms of the Catholic
sovereigns. They agreed to suspend all attack for seventy days, at the
end of which time, if no succor should arrive to the Moorish King, the
city of Granada was to be surrendered.

All Christian captives should be liberated without ransom. Boabdil and
his principal cavaliers should take an oath of fealty to the Castilian
crown, and certain valuable territories in the Alpujarra mountains should
be assigned to the Moorish monarch for his maintenance. The Moors of
Granada should become subjects of the Spanish sovereigns, retaining their
possessions, their arms and horses, and yielding up nothing but their
artillery. They should be protected in the exercise of their religion,
and governed by their own laws, administered by cadis of their own faith,
under governors appointed by the sovereigns. They should be exempted from
tribute for three years, after which term they should pay the same that
they had been accustomed to render to their native monarchs. Those who
chose to depart for Africa within three years should be provided with a
passage for themselves and their effects, free of charge, from whatever
port they should prefer.

For the fulfilment of these articles four hundred hostages from the
principal families were required, previous to the surrender, to be
subsequently restored. The son of the King of Granada, and all other
hostages in possession of the Castilian sovereigns, were to be restored
at the same time. Such were the conditions that the vizier Abul Kazim
laid before the council of Granada as the best that could be obtained
from the besieging foe. When the members of the council found that the
awful moment had arrived when they were to sign and seal the perdition of
their empire and blot themselves out as a nation, all firmness deserted
them and many gave way to tears. Musa alone retained an unaltered mien.
"Leave, seniors," cried he, "this idle lamentation to helpless women and
children: we are men--we have hearts, not to shed tender tears, but
drops of blood. I see the spirit of the people so cast down that it is
impossible to save the kingdom. Yet there still remains an alternative
for noble minds--a glorious death! Let us die defending our liberty and
avenging the woes of Granada. Our mother Earth will receive her children
into her bosom, safe from the chains and oppressions of the conq